


The Heart of the Sierra Madre

by jessiharmnoir



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout), Canon Related, Casino Heist, DLC, Dead Money DLC, During Canon, F/M, Femme Fatale, Hollywood, Mojave Wasteland (Fallout), Other, Pre-Canon, Sierra Madre (Fallout)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessiharmnoir/pseuds/jessiharmnoir
Summary: This is a work in progress.This explores the backstory of Vera Keyes and her tragic history and ultimate end at the Sierra Madre Casino. When I did my multiple playthroughs I was always surprised by how much story and background they gave to the main players. If you take your time, explore the world and read the letters, emails, etc. you are rewarded with a really story rich experience. In my opinion, this is one of the best stories of any video game I have ever played. I wish there was more. I would love to see this made as a movie.Vera Keyes is a tragic character. Her story has all the elements of a great mid-century, fading starlet tragedy. I absolutely adore this story arch, even if it makes me a little sad.I hope you enjoy it as well.This is canon friendly. No liberties were taken with the characters or progression of events. Same as my Fade to Black story, I only expanded on areas the game didn't but I only did so in the confines of the information previously available through game.
Relationships: Dean Domino & Vera Keyes, Dean Domino/Vera Keyes/Frederick Sinclair, Frederick Sinclair & Vera Keyes, Frederick Sinclair/Vera Keyes





	1. The Gala Event

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It finally happened. The thing Frederick Sinclair feared the most, and spent in excess of his wealth trying to plan for has happened. Nuclear War. Hours before the Grand Opening of the Sierra Madre casino, the bombs fell.
> 
> Vera Keyes, the young Starlet and headliner is sealed in her Penthouse suite as chaos ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---Prologue: The year 2281---
> 
> Over two hundred years after the Great War, an echo on the radio waves sends out an invite to those who wander the Mojave. It offers a piece of the old world and promises of new beginnings. 
> 
> "Has your life taken a turn? Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre Casino , in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again. Come to a place where wealth, excitement, and intrigue await around every corner. Stroll along the winding streets of our beautiful resort, make new friends or rekindle old flames. Let your eyes take in the luxurious expanse of the open desert under clear starlit skies. Gaze straight on into the sunset from our villa rooftops. Countless diversions await: Gamble in our casino, take in the theater, or stay in one of our exclusive executive suites that will shelter you and cater to your every whim. So if life's worries have weighed you down, if you need an escape from your troubles, or if you just need an opportunity to begin again, join us, let go, and leave the world behind at the Sierra Madre grand opening this October... We'll be waiting."

_\---The Event, October 23rd, 2077, Sierra Madre Casino Hotel Suites---_

A raven-haired Hollywood beauty known only by her stage name, Vera Keyes, paces franticly through the penthouse. The screams of terror from other hotel guests echo through the suites. She pounds on the large double doors of her room, but they won't open. They slammed shut and sealed only moments before. She hears bomb sirens outside the hotel and the confused screams of hotel guests inside. 

"Sinclair?! Sinclair, I'm trapped. Please, oh god, the security systems won't let me out. They're keeping me here... Sinclair? Sinclair, where did you go? Why did you leave me here? Why..."

The Sierra Madre Casino was to be the most elegant, and state of the art casino of the west. They called it the jewel of the Sierra Madre, and the Gala was to be it's Grand Opening. Vera Keyes and Dean Domino were only a few of the high profile acts to appear at the Gala event. The most exclusive and celebrated socialites were invited from all around the United States. 

Vera was in her room, getting ready when she heard the sirens warning of attack. Frederick Sinclair always said the war was coming and talked about it constantly. Some laughed; others called him paranoid. However, Sinclair spared no expense in his preparations. The Sierra Madre became less like a Casino and more like a fortress, or even a vault, as Sinclair's paranoia increased. One of the reasons Frederick Sinclair chose the location for the resort he did, in the middle of nowhere, secluded, wasn't just to build and maintain a specific aesthetic. It was to have an isolated, safe haven not easily accessible by a land invasion. The Villa's construction had specific design elements, such as roads to narrow for any vehicle type. Features like this had dual purposes.

As America seemed to rush headfirst into a nuclear war, in the final building days, he requested more extreme profile upgrades for the holographic security. This affected the holograms in the casino, and the Villa he built around it. _National Electric_ created a customized system for Sinclair and the Sierra Madre. The holograms were no longer only there to limit contraband and other prohibited items. They were also authorized to use lethal force to defend the hotel and its guests against any threats. So why was the security system attacking the casino guest? Sadly, due to a few unknown software bugs, the holograms interpreted guests trying to leave as threats too. 

Unfortunately, the bombs began to fall, and the holographic hotel security was activated only hours before the Grand Opening, sealing the Sierra Madre and trapping and slaughtering those unfortunate to be inside. Vera was terrified as she heard the hotel room doors sealing, people franticly pounding, crying, and screaming for help. Those who were not locked in a room were shot down as they clawed at the elevators, windows, and doors, trying to find a way out. Why would Sinclair do this? 

"Sinclair?! Sinclair!" she yells, but Sinclair isn't coming.


	2. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter into who Vera Keyes is, her relationship with Dean Domino, and Frederick Sinclair.

\---A few hours earlier, October 23nd, 2077, Sierra Madre Casino Penthouse---

Vera Keyes paced nervously through the elaborate art deco designed penthouse of the new Sierra Madre Casino hotel. She invited Frederick Sinclair to her room to confess her betrayal and the plot against him. For months she had been blackmailed by Dean Domino into a fake relationship with Sinclair. The intent was to exploit Sinclair's generosity and gain access to the hotel's vault and safe. When she began to get cold feet, Dean threatened her with holotapes. Evidence of their past romantic entanglement and Vera's less than glamorous drug abuse. She tried to kick the habit before, but she found herself consumed with pain and nausea when she did. Dean exploited this weakness. He promised to reveal her unseemly lifestyle and "indiscretions" to the press unless she went along with his schemes. Vera knew that it would never end.

It was all part of Dean's elaborate plan. Dean was hired by Sinclair to be the headlining performer of the casinos Tampico Lounge. Dean eventually made friends with Sinclair and even helped in the Casino and Villa construction. There was an ulterior motive, however. Dean Domino often robbed the very casinos he performed at. He introduced Vera to Sinclair, knowing she would be his type. If he could get Sinclair to fall in love with Vera Keyes, Dean would own Sinclair because Dean owned Vera. Dean always promised to destroy the tapes 'after one more job.' Still, Dean was nothing more than a casino robbing gangster who had no incentive to release Vera when he could use her and control her for his selfish ends. But Vera was tired. Her body and mind were exhausted, and she could no longer carry on like this. Even though she didn't love Sinclair the way she pretended, she did care for and respect the man, and her guilt was too much to bear.

Sinclair eventually arrived at her suite, and she confessed it all.


	3. Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer. This was the part of the story I was really excited about. There is currently only one last chapter planned after this. It will be Sinclair's last few moments.  
> At the end of the piece, like Fade to Black, I will include some game resources that expand on the world I was writing in. Hope you enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---Post Event, October 24th, 2077, Sierra Madre Casino Penthouse---
> 
> "Sinclair? Sinclair!" she continues to call out, but he never answers, "We all pay for what we've done. I'm so sorry, Sinclair. Sorry, I... I should have trusted you." Vera weeps. It's been hours since the bombs fell and the casino sealed. 'Is this a punishment?' She wonders as she is left to her penthouse with nothing but her thoughts.
> 
> "The doors, they... they sealed. I... I can hear the other guests, screaming to be let out, to let go..." she paced. Over time the screams in the hallways grew silent, but she could still hear the other guests sealed in different suites. "Let go? Let go of what?" she called out angrily.
> 
> "I came so far to be here... now, now I just want to leave. Please... let me leave." Vera pleaded aloud. She just wanted to go home. Go back to the country farm she grew up on and see her family. Go back before her big dreams, and Dean's deception pulled her away from her simple life.

Time continues to pass. Minutes turn to hours and hours into days. Vera continues to call out for Sinclair, but he never answers. He never comes.  _ "I'm going to die here, amongst the ghosts. I... I'm still being recorded by the holographic system," _ Vera declared to herself as she was consumed with hopelessness. There seemed to be no promise of a rescue, and the security system was still active and hostile. Everyone had gone silent. Those trapped in their rooms like her were already dead or close.

The emergency broadcast radio wasn't sending out a distress call. It kept replaying the same pre-recorded invitation message. Due to a system glitch, the SOS that was meant to be broadcasted was replaced by Vera's welcoming messages. The call for help never went out. Help would never come. That wasn't the only system issue either. The security system was still recording. Instead of their general feedback or patrolling updates, they played her cries and desperation on a loop. Vera was forced to hear her pain repeatedly played as time continued to pass, and she was the only one left. 

Several days went by, and Vera knew no one was coming. All the voices had gone silent. Perhaps she was lucky to have the penthouse. Here she had a bar, food, and an auto-doc to dispense meds when her pain became too much. She could possibly survive for a week or two, but then what? As the casino was nearing completion staff and performers moved into the villa and suites. In addition to her dressing room Sinclair gave her the penthouse suite and made sure she had anything she needed. He even provided an Auto-Doc to assist with the pain, chronic fatigue, and nausea she often experienced. Although this was an act of kindness and love, in these moments, she resented it. 

Her fear and anxiety made it hard for her to eat, and each day that went by, she relied on the bar more and more. She started to lose time. She would drink to forget, drink in hopes that she would pass out and wake up, and it was all a terrible dream, drink to drown out her cries being played back for her on a loop. She would crawl into bed and weep or pass out in one of the chairs with a bottle in hand. After one particular fit, she woke up on the cold floor. That's when she heard the soft music coming from the lobby—her own voice singing her hit single,  _ Begin Again _ . 

Strangely, hearing the song brought her some comfort. She thought about Sinclair, about Dean, about the dreams they chased. She hummed the tune as she thought of the lives they tried to build. Always looking for something better. Sinclair's obsession, Dean's greed, Vera's addiction, and how these things made them puppets to a master. Now more than ever, she wanted to begin again. That's what the Sierra Madre promised, after all. A chance to let go of the past and for new beginnings. 

...Let go.

A tearful Vera climbed atop of the bed, scribbling those very words onto the wall behind her headboard in her red lipstick. Although she knew it was unlikely that anyone, including Dean or Sinclair, would ever find her, she wanted to leave them with a final message. Let go. Let go of greed, let go of obsession, let go of past grudges. Let go of the pain. Let go of sorrow. Let go of the Sierra Madre... and to Let go of her. 

What once came in waves, her fatigue and pain, became more constant. Due to the stress and the circumstances, it seemed to increase in intensity and frequency. She grabbed the Absinthe from the bar and headed over to the Auto-Doc where she pulled out several doses of med-x and placed them on the bedside table. She stared at the drugs for a few moments, pondering. Vera knew that rescue was unlikely, and although she had enough supplies to hold out for a while longer, the thought horrified her. Should couldn't stay in this room, listening to her cries echo on a loop. She couldn't fathom holding on, knowing that she was the only living thing in a giant tomb filled with fresh corpses and other ghosts. No. She didn't want to starve or further suffer. She didn't want to hold on to thin hope anymore. She would accept her fate and go on her terms. 

For the first time since the bombs fells and the casino caged her, she felt calm. She thought of earlier days... of happier days. She thought of Sinclair, a kind man she did not love but loved her. She thought of Dean, a man she once cared for but consumed her. She thought of the Sierra Madre and all its promises. She thought of home and her farm. She thought family. Vera thought of sunrises and full moons. She allowed herself to remember these things. How they looked, tasted, felt, or smelled. She spent time with every memory, savoring them one last time. 

She poured herself the Absinthe to calm her nerves. After a few drinks, she remembered a farewell recording she and Sinclair were working on. It was to be a farewell message for the guest as they left. With a few modifications in mind, she walked to the terminal and delivered her final words. After which, she sent them off through the casino's system. Vera made her way back to her chair and let out a sigh. She took a few moments to make her peace before injecting herself with the first dose of Med-X. The rush hit her like it always did, followed by a physical euphoria. She knew that she didn't have long before the mental cloud kicked in, so she set up a second dose... then another... and then another... lastly, dosing herself with a super-stimpak to amplify the med-x and seal the deal. 

Vera leaned back in her chair and let the Med-X overtake her. In her last few moments, she was free. Free from Dean, from her pain, and from the casino, and other demons she never even knew she had... Whatever waited for her on the other side, she took comfort in the possibility that she would be able to begin again. 

In a fitting tribute, as the heart of the casino, Vera, turned to dust, so did the memory of the Sierra Madre. Just as the Vera faded, the casino itself eventually fell quiet and dark, fading into obscurity. As Vera's body laid in her room, slowly withering away, so did the villas. Further still, through all this, it's Vera, not Dean or Sinclair, that lives on. It is her voice that repeats through radio waves across the Mojave. It is her voice that echoes through the halls of the Casino suites. It is her hologram that still stands bright in the town center. Sinclair built the casino and the Villa in hopes of protecting Vera and in some way he did. Her likeness still lives on, but now they will serve as an exalted headstone to her final resting place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Wait a moment. Before you go, I... we... hope you've enjoyed your stay. Farewells can be a time of sadness -- letting go, difficult. As a guest of the Sierra Madre, you know that truth more than anyone. Frederick Sinclair believed that one's life could be made anew every day, that fortunes were more than the wealth in your hands. Love, life, family, those to care for, and those who will care for you: to those who know these joys, the Sierra Madre holds little they don't already have. Out in the world, beyond these walls, that is your chance to begin again. I hope that you will return in happier times. Until then, the Sierra Madre, and I, will hold you in our hearts."


End file.
